DIMAPUR, FEBRUARY 5 (MExN): Even as the ruling NPF has promised in its election manifesto to take up the four laning of the Dimapur to Kohima National Highway if voted to power, the Opposition Congress has cited this particular project as one of the failures of the present NPF government. The Nagaland Pradesh Congress Committee (NPCC) in its booklet ’10 years of NPF misrule in Nagaland’ has mentioned about the failure to implement the programmes committed by the Centre and this includes the four laning of NH 29 from Dimapur to Kohima.
According to the Congress, the then NDA government at the Centre during the Prime Minister’s visit to Kohima in 2003 gave a package of Rs 400 crores for four laning of this road. “However, the myopic plan and action of the DAN government has ensured that the project never took off”, states the NPCC in its booklet.
It was pointed out that the earlier State government notification with regard to the construction of buildings on the NH 39 especially along the Dimapur-Chumukedima route was to be 75 feet to 45 feet from the middle of the road. In blatant disregard to this standing order, the DAN government rampantly issued land pattas on either side of the road bringing down the required size for future provision from earlier 75 feet to 45 feet from the middle of the road, stated the NPCC.
This according to the NPCC, has led to construction of many commercial buildings within the last few years leaving no scope for further expansion of the road. “The worked out compensation for demolishment of these buildings along the highway runs into hundreds of crores which is not sustainable and therefore the proposed four laning of the highway stretch especially between Dimapur-Chumukedima remains a pipe dream”, states the NPCC booklet.
It was also pointed out by the NPCC booklet that there was a proposal to make Ring road from Khatkati (Assam) to Patkai College junction via Kuhuboto but “the Chief Minister turned down the proposal for reasons best known to him”.
With regard to the proposed construction of railway from Dimapur to Kohima which is to terminate at Zubza, the NPCC booklet has termed this as “another low point of the DAN govt”. “With the central govt approving the project, the state govt has hit a road block due to mishandling of the landowners on the compensation issue”, the NPCC stated while also mentioning about “some vested interest proposing a new alignment”.
The NPCC has also termed that the “failed expansion of Dimapur Airport is another blot on the DAN govt’s tenure”. The booklet alleges that the govt failed to keep the commitment to the landowners and instead cited exorbitant rate to cancel the acquisition process and searched for other alternative places which could not materialize with “a viable conclusion in sight, since the land does not belong to the Chief Minister like the Cricket ground”.
